Charlotte Boyett-Compo- WIND VERSE- Hunger's Harmattan by Unknown (best management books of all time TXT) 📗

“Bastard!” Polemusa screeched. She tried tomove but he had her well in hand and she could not break free of his hold.

“Do you concede?” he asked.

“Hell no!” she spat at him, and tried tohead-butt him in the chin but he twisted his head to the side and she merelyclipped his shoulder.

“I’ve won, wench,” he told her. “Be agracious loser and concede.” When he saw what she was about to do, he turnedhis head away again and her spittle went flying over his shoulder.

“Mother!” Shanee said. “That was beneathyou.”

“Aye, I agree it was childish and silly butyour mother hates to lose, ionúin,” he said.

“Sie sind ein eingebildeter bastard,”Polumesa said, calling him a conceited bastard.

“Und Sie sind sehr schön, wenn Sieverärgert sind,” he said, telling her she was very beautiful when she wasangry.

“Aye, well, you really haven’t seen metruly angry, Reaper,” Polemusa snapped. “Now let me up.”

Ailyn smiled. “Say please and I will.”

The defense queen’s eyes flared wide. “I donot kowtow to any man!” she growled.

“I am not just any man, baby,” he told herand his grin disappeared. “You do not show respect for a warrior’s abilityeither, do you? I guess there is no honor among the Amazeen when one of you hasbeen bested in a fair fight.”

He didn’t wait for her to answer but let goof her and rolled away, getting to his feet and turning his back on her to lether know she posed no threat to him.

Shanee held her breath, curious to know howher mother would respond to that challenge.

“Don’t you walk away from me, boy!”Polemusa shouted.

Ailyn swiveled his head around. “Then showme the same deference you would a female who defeated you and I’ll treat you asthe equal I believe you to be.”

Put in that light, Polemusa had no otheroption. She squared her shoulders. “I acknowledge you won that fight but Iwon’t be as easy on you the next time around.”

Shanee expected Ailyn to snort at thatstatement but he merely nodded. He waved a hand and his Reaper uniform settledin place over his muscular body.

“Walk with me, Mother,” he said. “You and Ineed to have a little talk.”

Polemusa gritted her teeth. “Don’t call meMother,” she snapped as she dusted off the back of her toga.

“Would you prefer I called you Mama orperhaps Mom?”

A hiss was his answer as the defense queencame toward him. “I prefer ‘Your Majesty’ but ‘Mother’ will suffice.”

Shanee came forward to join them but Ailynshook his head. “This is just between the two of us, ionúin. Wait here.”

“Already he is subjugating you,” Polemusastated, giving her daughter an I-told-you-so look. “That is what comes fromlegally Joining with a man.”

“Would you rather she had Joined with awoman?” Ailyn inquired.

“At least a woman would not treat her asproperty,” his mother-in-law insulted him.

“Unlike Amazeen women who treat their maleslike equals?” he countered.

Polemusa snarled at that statement but fellinto step beside him. “Point taken,” she admitted.

Once they were out of Shanee’s hearingrange, Ailyn spoke quietly to her mother.

“I love your daughter with all my heart,”he said. “I would not have asked her to marry me if I did not.”

“You can have the milk without buying thecow,” she reminded him.

“Aye, but I gave her my name so I mightdefend and protect her. She…”

“She doesn’t need your protection!”Polemusa declared.

“Perhaps not, but it is there if the needshould ever arise,” he said quietly. “As it did on the Midian. Had I notpulled her assailant off her, he might have done her harm.”

Polemusa shrugged but did not say sheagreed with his assumption.

“I know you worry about her since she is nolonger under the aegis of her tribe. You should feel some relief that there willbe someone at her back when she goes on her missions from now on.”

The defense queen stopped in mid stride andput a hand to his arm to halt him as well. “You will be working with her?”

“I want her safe, Polemusa,” he said. “Iwill be with her from now on or she won’t be working for the Guardians.”

“You think you can stop her?” Polemusasneered.

“I know damned well I can,” he replied. “Doyou doubt it?”

She stared into his eyes for a longtime—taking his measure, giving him her most intimidating glower but he did notso much as blink much less lower his gaze to that threatening glare.

“You promise you will keep her from harm?”

“I do.”

“That you will treat her as she should betreated—with honor and with respect?” She narrowed her eyes. “You will be faithfulto her?”

“I am a Reaper,” he reminded her. “I willhave but one love in my lifetime. I have given that love to your daughter. Iwill keep myself only unto her. There will never be another for me.”

“You will give her children?”

“I will give her as many sons as shewants.”

“What of daughters?” she ground out.

Ailyn shook his head. “That I cannot do. Myparasite will not allow it.”

Pain drifted over Polemusa’s face. “It isevery Amazeen’s dream to have a daughter to follow in her footsteps. Shanee ismy only child. I want a granddaughter to…” She shrugged as though hating toadmit what she was about to say. “To spoil.”

“Are there no female children in Amazeenwho need a mother?” he asked. “Are there no little girls who should not be withthe mothers they do have?”

“You would accept such a child?”

“Every child needs a mother’s love. Whenthat love is withheld, the child rarely grows up to be a happy, well-adjustedadult.”

“You sound as though you speak fromexperience,” she said.

“I do.”

Polemusa had not come to this meeting withAilyn Harmattan without knowing all there was to be gleaned about the man herdaughter had married. She knew he had not lived a happy childhood and that hisown mother had ignored him his entire life. She suspected there was even morepain lurking in his past in relation to his mother that she didn’t know aboutand made a mental note to discover what that pain was.

“Shanee cannot come to Amazeen to find sucha needy child,” Polemusa said.

“Do you not think she would trust you tofind her a little one who will need what we can give